MANILA — Philippine boxer-turned-politician
Manny Pacquiao declared Sunday he will run for president in 2022, ending months of
speculation about whether the legendary fighter would seek the country's top
job.
اضافة اعلان
"The time is now — we are ready to rise to the
challenge of leadership," said Pacquiao, as he accepted the nomination of
a rival faction in President Rodrigo Duterte's ruling party.
The eight-division world champion and beloved national hero
made the announcement weeks after losing what could be his last professional
fight against Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao, who entered politics in 2010 as a congressman
before being elected to the Senate, has long been expected to make a tilt for
the country's highest office.
The 42-year-old is deeply admired in the archipelago nation
for his generosity and hauling himself out of poverty to become one of the
world's greatest and wealthiest boxers.
His boxing credentials along with fighting poverty and
corruption are likely to be the key themes of his campaign.
"For those asking what are my qualifications, have you
ever experienced hunger?" Pacquiao asked the national assembly held by the
anti-Duterte faction of PDP-Laban.
"Have you ever experienced having nothing to eat, to
borrow money from your neighbors or to wait for leftovers at a food stall? The
Manny Pacquiao that is in front of you was molded by poverty."
Pacquiao's star power in a country famed for its
celebrity-obsessed politics will put him in a strong position in the
presidential race.
But it will not guarantee victory.
A public skirmish between Pacquiao and Duterte over the
latter's handling of the South China Sea dispute with Beijing and official
graft could erode support for the boxer.
Duterte — who is allowed to serve only one term as president
under the constitution — rivals Pacquiao for the affections of many Filipinos
and declared last month he will run for the vice presidency.
A party faction loyal to Duterte also endorsed the
president's close aide, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, for
the top job — but he hasn't yet accepted.
Pacquiao would face a formidable opponent if Duterte's
daughter, Sara, were to run for president, which she is tipped to do.
A recent poll showed the Davao city mayor — who belongs to a
different party than her father — with the most voter support, well ahead of
Pacquiao and other potential contenders.
The deadline for registering as a candidate for next year's
elections is October 8.
Deep divisions
The nomination of two candidates for president from
PDP-Laban showed "how deep the divisions in the ruling party are",
said Eurasia Group analyst Peter Mumford.
"A key watchpoint will be whether most of the
anti-Duterte camp falls in behind Pacquiao or whether it splits with multiple
different presidential candidates," Mumford said.
"The former would complicate Duterte's succession plans
by making victory for the eventual Duterte-backed candidate less assured."
Pacquiao, a devout evangelical Christian, was a high-profile
backer of Duterte and his controversial drug war.
International Criminal Court judges last week authorised a
full-blown investigation into the alleged unlawful killing of possibly tens of
thousands of people.
Pacquiao told AFP in a recent interview that he would
continue the crackdown, but in a "proper way" that does not abuse
"the rights of individuals".
Asked if he would protect the current president from
criminal charges if he became leader, he said: "All of us are bound to the
law."
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